The Correct Hillary Clinton Stereotype- Bedrock Competence

[DemocratSinceBirth]

In their appraisals of Hillary Clinton, the pollsters and pundits who have not gotten beyond that mommy/ball-buster teeter-totter narrative of American womanhood also have not begun to diagnose gender dynamics beyond the perspective of the little boy and his mom. A lot of female voters, however, may be factoring in a whole other kind of female archetype, whose wet eyes do not signal weakness and whose flashes of anger do not signal coldness, only pragmatic perseverance.

If pundits ever tried to understand what some female voters know about the complexity of women's lives, they might begin to comprehend the appeal of a female candidate whose ethic of caring and whose posture of femininity derive from responsibilities beyond the maternal. And then they might begin to understand the affection of women in New Hampshire who put her over the top.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-faludi15jan15,0,7874707.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail

[maddiejoan]

1. This is exactly

my view of Senator Clinton

thank you.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. Your Welcome

:-)

[William769]

3. I can't speak on womans behalf for the simple fact I am not one but.

I will say this, pollsters and pundits are going to be wiping egg off their faces just like they did in N.H. this whole primary season.

[denidem]

4. This is so right on...

Fabulous. Faludi really understands. This is what I see in Hillary Clinton.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. As A Male Who Was A Feminist Before Feminism Was Cool I Agree

~

[Cameron27]

5. Thank you

K&R

[spooky3]

7. I love Susan Faludi

Backlash is one of the best books ever.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

21. Agree and agree. What a spectacular article. K & R!

MKJ

[SIMPLYB1980]

8. Thanks DSB.

[autorank]

9. At what?n/t

[whatchamacallit]

13. Political Idolatry

Love is blind.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. Hillary Is The Filial Daughter And The Good Mom

~

[whatchamacallit]

16. I'm having difficulty relating those references to Hillary

:shrug:

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. She Did A Nice Job With Chelsea And Takes Care Of Her 88 Year Old Mom In Her DC Home

~

[whatchamacallit]

26. Too bad that maternal instinct failed so many grieving Iraqi and US military families

:shrug:

[DemocratSinceBirth]

28. You Suggested She Was A Poor Mom And Daughter

I easily, easily defeated the silly notion

Since you are so fond of emoticons:


:spank:

[whatchamacallit]

29. I didn't suggest anything of the kind

I'm sure she's been as good a mom/daughter as anyone in her position can be. The OP attempts to capitalize on the notion that the country needs a can-do mother, I agree, but Hillary isn't running for president of her family, she's running for president of the US. The author's analogy falls apart when considering Hillary's hawkish positions.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

39. Actally, the article explains why the "can-do mother" analogy is flawed.

:shrug: MKJ

[whatchamacallit]

40. Maybe, but "caring" is a touchstone of the article

The next president's care must extend past the walls of their home, past the borders of this country, and embrace the planet.

[Enrique]

19. suggesting Hillary is not competent?

absurd

[rodeodance]

34. Hillary kept her family together (during and after Bills problem)- That took courage-

[burythehatchet]

10. There are times in a nation's history when competence is the highest ideal

and there other times when the path the country is on is so radically wrong that competence alone is not enough, when leadership and vision are significantly more important. This is not the time to tinker with the machine, this is a period in our history when the machine needs to be disassembled and rebuilt. It has been necessary before and it is necessary now. Senator Clinton is not the person for that job. She is part of the problem, not the solution.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. Did You Read The Editorial?

I think you and Ms. Faludi are approaching the issue of competence from very different vantage points...

[Enrique]

22. no one's going to disassemble and rebuild the machine

you have absolutely NO EXCUSE for beliveing that either Obama or Edwards is in any way radical, and I don't believe you really do believe that.

[burythehatchet]

27. attaboy

[creeksneakers2]

12. K & R

[NewHampster]

15. I was about to post this great analysis. Thanks DSB

Susan Faludi gets it right and finally we see a reporter willing to look beyond the MSM standard messaging.

The media, punditry and pollsters have been viewing this historic female candidacy, and the candidate herself, through the Madonna-Medea prism they've applied since at least the Victorian era to women who venture into American public life. In so doing, they have ignored a whole other model of womanhood that is central to female experience. If they are determined to think of Hillary Clinton in stereotypical female terms, at least they should get the stereotype right.

That ignorance was on prominent display after New Hampshire, as analysts groped to explain the primary results and came up with explanations that were as offensive as they were phantasmagorial. One theory, admittedly far-fetched but avidly promulgated, held that Clinton's unexpected surge of support came from lower-class voters who were secretly (that is, un-poll-ably) racist. Some pundits acknowledged that there might be a gender dynamic at work but allowed for only one possibility: Female voters were easily manipulated saps who'd let a few girl tears muddle their political sense. Pundits debated whether Clinton's tears were "real" or "manufactured" -- that is, whether she was some weak sob sister who couldn't hack the rough-and-tumble of a man's world, or just a power-grabbing witch who would do anything to hang on to her broomstick.

[WillTheGoober]

17. Wow.

Very nice.

That has to be the best thing I've read in a while.

Wow.

W.

[Enrique]

20. one of the most interesting things I've read in a while

k & r

[beachmom]

23. Competent at what? Getting healthcare passed? I mean, she wouldn't

listen to members of the Senate who explained to her how it could be passed. She completely BLEW IT, and I just don't think she has changed all that much.

I suppose she is competent at being elected to the U.S. Senate. But I don't find her safe Senate record particularly impressive.

[robbedvoter]

24. Wow! A few in the media know the secret!

"
A few, such as San Francisco Chronicle reporter Carla Marinucci, offered more cogent appraisals. She pointed out that female voters didn't seem to be responding to Clinton's tears so much as to their outrage at men's reactions to those tears (in particular, men in the media).

[DURHAM D]

25. Thanks for posting.

I admire Susan and am glad she is adding to the conversation. If more women had a voice we would be watching a very different contest.

[Sulawesi]

30. How inspiring...bedrock competence...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

37. I Agree...Competence Is Superfluous To Any Endeavor

Not...

[IndianaGreen]

31. Bedrock competence? Mussolini made the trains run on time

but that's not what we need. What we need is not a technocrat that will wage war in Iraq and Iran more competently than Bush, what we need is a leader that will TURN THIS WAR OFF.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

36. I Can See Another Person Comments Without Reading The Article

~

[Enrique]

38. and you supported Joe Biden in the primaries

the quintessential competent technocrat. (which is why I like him)

[rodeodance]

32. I love the examples at the beginning of the article

[La Lioness Priyanka]

33. exactly how i feel about Senator Clinton

[ProSense]

35. The correct Hillary Clinton stereotype:

here.

[no name no slogan]

41. If "Competence" won elections...

John Kerry would be now be President.

Al Gore would have won by a landslide in 2000.

Walter Mondale would have beat Reagan like a grape in 1984.

"Competence" does not inspire voters-- it merely gives them a reason to not vote for your opponent, and does NOT motivate them to get to the polls and bring others to the polls.

JFK didn't win on "competence" in 1960-- Nixon was far more competent than him. He won because he had a VISION for a better country, a vision for a nation that could be greater than it was. He INSPIRED people to vote for him because they shared his dream.

"Competence" may keep you in the race. INSPIRATION makes sure you win it.

[wiley]

42. That article explains why I support Clinton

I have personally seen what her competence and perseverance has accomplished.